For Millennials, maybe the constant use of a screen has made the experience of reading a printed book an enjoyable oddity. Or is there more to it?

Back when e-books were surging in popularity, intense hand-wringing by a cadre of librarians, printers, publishers and bibliophiles ensued.

“Is this the end of an era? Will e-books replace books in the hearts and minds of readers?”

There is something solidly satisfying about reading a printed-on-paper book – even among Millennials — and recent data is proving it. Maggie Crum at The Huffington Post reports that 92% of students prefer printed books over e-books. (I’m guessing the other 8% aren’t reading).

“[Study author Naomi] Baron cited the pleasure of feeling the progress you’ve made in your reading (rather than making note of an onscreen percentage) as one possible explanation for print’s popularity. Plus, ebooks aren’t waterproof, and add to the headache-inducing screen time young readers are likely to rack up on their computers and mobile devices,” writes Crum.

More to the point, I wonder how this preference for printed books originated among a demographic that is deeply embedded online. So technologically savvy that they’ve become coveted consumers for nearly every company that’s created a product with a screen, and every product that can communicate through one. Perhaps the constant use of a screen has made the experience of reading a printed book an enjoyable oddity.